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MANKATO (WCCO) — The Minnesota Vikings’ Kevin Williams is what a defensive tackle is supposed to be: big, strong, aggressive and willing to step up. Now, he’s also being asked to “speak up.”

This year, the Vikings’ defense is getting a cram session, just like the rest of the league.

“I think we’re doing good,” said Williams. “We’re filling in nice some of the spots that we lost guys in, and just chipping away at it.”

The defensive line’s new cast means the coaches want a more vocal Williams.

“Kevin is one of those guys … when he speaks, you know, everybody listens,” said head coach Leslie Frazier. “Now, with the new role that he’s in, he finds himself having to speak a little bit more. And that’s good for our team because he’s a tremendous leader.”

That’s the new challenge: don’t just show it, speak it.

For Williams, there is something about his future that is still cloudy — his impending four-day suspension resulting from the StarCaps incident. It’s still unknown when exactly he will be suspended.

“We’re still waiting and we’re gonna keep preparing like we’re going to play,” said Williams.

So, in the mean time, he will play and he will try to voice his new role.